# Question for those whose polishes number in the hundreds.



## feemia (Feb 3, 2013)

So, if you have 100 or more polishes have you used them all?  Don't they go bad before you get a chance to use them more than once?

There's only 365 days in a year, and the average length of time that a bottle lasts before it's starts to get goopy is about 2 years.


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## BeautyJunction (Feb 3, 2013)

My answer to your first question: I've swatched all of mine at least once. Some, such as NYX Salsa and NYX Wild, have been swatched once and relegated to the back of the shelf, or used up on other people. Favourites - OPI, CG, Essie and Bourjois mostly - are used frequently. On an average, a mani lasts three days on my nails before tipwear and my own self-destructive handiwork. About the second question: Some are a few years old, but haven't gone goopy yet (whew) as they're airtight in my shelves. A favourite colour of mine went goopy recently - I had bought a second bottle and forgotten about it. So I added some polish remover to it and shook it well and it turned out okay (whew again).


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## chrysalis101 (Feb 3, 2013)

I do a lot of nail art. So I've used them all but not necessarily on all 10 fingers. Thats actually what got me addicted in the first place. Sometimes I do my nails every other day sometimes only once or twice in a week. Dome of my polishes are quite old but I rarely have problems with goopy polish. I've heard this being a big problem for lots of people though. Maybe it's where you live? how long you leave them open when doing your nails? How you store them? I live in the Midwest on the Ohio river so it's quite humid here much of the year. Because I do a lot of nail art they aren't open long. I put a dot on a piece of paper to dip my tools in. And I Currently store them in plastic shoe boxes under the bathroom sink, so the air is rather stagnant. Idk these are just guesses. But, I figure if you live in someplace like Arizona, leave them open, or store them near somewhere with high air flow or extreme temperature then they may be more likely to dry out.


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## beautymadn3ss (Feb 3, 2013)

I paint my nails about 4 times a week tops, and yeah, I do have some that have only been swatched, but I'll get to it, I'm trying to wear a different polish every time I paint my nails. None of them except one I left open have gone bad and if they do I just add nail polish thinner and they are back to normal.


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## feemia (Feb 3, 2013)

I thought about it after I posted and realized that if you don't use a polish, it won't be exposed to air, so it would last quite a while.  I have an old bottle that I just opened recently for the 1st time in a couple of years and it's still good.


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## babycat (Feb 3, 2013)

Nail polish thinner will do wonders.


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## feemia (Feb 3, 2013)

I've gone a little crazy with buying polishes.  I've purchased 47 bottles during the past 6 weeks  and I've been feeling foolish because I'll likely never use them all.  I sure have had fun swatching them though.  

Maybe I'll just think of it as a hobby.  I'm just a collector, right 




.


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## beautymadn3ss (Feb 3, 2013)

> Originally Posted by *feemia* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> I've gone a little crazy with buying polishes.  I've purchased 47 bottles during the past 6 weeks  and I've been feeling foolish because I'll likely never use them all.  I sure have had fun swatching them though.
> 
> ...


 Totally  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> You'll eventually use them.


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## BrittneyMarie (Feb 3, 2013)

Have I used them all? No, not yet, but I will eventually (or so I keep telling myself). I've yet to have a bottle glop up too much to be saved with thinner, so I'm not terribly worried about it. Polish doesn't expire  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />


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## Carmela DeJesus (Feb 4, 2013)

I have 53 polishes as of now, not including minis which is about 30. I'm nearly to 100, can't believe it. I paint my nails once a week. I try to more often but I don't have the patience for it. I noticed that I don't use most of my colors. I even bought a stamping kit but I get frustrated with it easily hahahaa.


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## nelljhn (Feb 4, 2013)

You have ten fingers and ten toes. I don't see why you can't use most of the colors. If your only polishing your nails once or twice every two weeks or so you shouldn't have a hundred bottles of polishes anyway. I polish my nails every two to three days. Sometimes I use a different color on each finger. And I have well over a hundred bottles. It's like a person who loves to read. They usually have a library full of books at home.


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## sleepykat (Feb 4, 2013)

I have about 250 polishes, half tried, half untried. If I try them and probably won't wear it again, I gift or trade it. If you store them away from hot or cold and use polish thinner when necessary (it restores the evaporated chemicals), they stay good. Oh, and close the lids tightly.


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## babycat (Feb 4, 2013)

> Originally Posted by *nelljhn* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> It's like a person who loves to read. They usually have a library full of books at home.


 I love that!!!  It's so true.


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## feemia (Feb 4, 2013)

> It's like a person who loves to read. They usually have a library full of books at home.


  I also have shelves full of books that I haven't read yet.  This seems to be a pattern for me.


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## Miss Jess (Feb 4, 2013)

> Originally Posted by *babycat* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> Nail polish thinner will do wonders.


This. : )

Personally, just buying nail polishes and painting my nails make me really happy.  Each to her own.  It's also nice just having all the colors easily accessible when you want to match an outfit.   Also, you always share with your friends or family members also.  It's really fun just painting nails together.


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## sleepykat (Feb 5, 2013)

> Originally Posted by *nelljhn* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> You have ten fingers and ten toes. I don't see why you can't use most of the colors. If your only polishing your nails once or twice every two weeks or so you shouldn't have a hundred bottles of polishes anyway. I polish my nails every two to three days. Sometimes I use a different color on each finger. And I have well over a hundred bottles. It's like a person who loves to read. They usually have a library full of books at home.


 Hit the nail on the head! I have lots of shelves and drawers, they are primarily full of books and nail polishes, the only two product purchases I've ever had a problem reigning in. I justify it by how little I spend, since I only do sales and coupons and such for both. Tomorrow is a nail party for my friends to partake of my polish smorgasbord.


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## MissPrissTiff (Mar 3, 2013)

Everybody has their own thing, nail polish is mine as well as some of the others that I've seen here as well. If I didn't buy nail polish I'd probably be way interested in something else just as much. I find that getting a deal on the polish makes it that much better for me &amp; I try to use all of mine but if I do get them on sale it's usually because they are out of "season" and so I end up waiting until it's that time again. I completely justify my obsession to myself &amp; it helps to not have to explain too much to the husband, he just knows that I have wayy too many!  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />


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## Dalylah (Mar 4, 2013)

I encourage you ladies to use polish thinner as opposed to remover. Polish thinner is very cheap ($2 or $3 at Sally's) or online. Going to quote myself from another thread



> Originally Posted by *Dalylah* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> If you truly want to get to the science behind this you have to start reading labels. Polish remover may contain acetone, butyl acetate, toluene, propylene carbonate or any other number of mystery ingredients including oil, fragrance and water. Now if you are removing your polish with pure butyl acetate (which is hard to get a hold of and almost no one has) then yes, thinning it will work fine. Most people pick up their drugstore brand or order it from their favorite polish company. The problem is not only the different solvents but also the potential added water, fragrance and/or oil.
> 
> I have tried to thin mine with both acetone and remover in the past. The funny thing was that most of the low end polishes were fine but my expensive ones went bad. I am not sure if I would call it curdling but it definitely ruined them. Well that hit me right in the wallet so I decided to opt for thinner instead and I haven't had a problem since.


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## Carmela DeJesus (Mar 27, 2013)

I passed 100! Im not even counting the treatments, bases, tops, and minis. Hahahah

100 polishes doesn't look like a lot this way.





I don't have room for much more. Gosh.


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## newmakemom (Mar 30, 2013)

Nail polish doesn't go bad no matter what people think but it doesn't . It does get goopy but that is what polish thinner is for, NOT acetone. Sometimes I buy polish cause it's a good deal on sale/clearance, it's limited edition or just a color I know I want to own but I'm not in the mood to wear at that time (yes, I know that sounds hella weird).

I'm trying to become a little more selective in what I own but I don't think it's working. I go through moods too. I will always love purples &amp; mint greens and I have way more that anyone needs but it's a color I'm drawn to.I have a daughter that is starting her own collection too but we keep ours separate. I paint my nails about once or twice a week but I collect way more than I use. I honestly got that from my mom, definitely not a good habit to have.   My collection of 500-600 bottles (I only count colors, no minis) any is much smaller than those in the thousands but at least they have sales to reduce their "stash" but I can't bare to see any on mine leave...yet anyway.


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## melissamellie (Apr 1, 2013)

I go crazy with doing nail polish but its not at all. In office time I'm not found it to good. Yeah, I could it like parties and every time it goes to change.

Remember the nail polish you have doing be  suited your dress-up.


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